The Damned Episode 4: Judgment
by RobertlaMorte
Summary: Buffy, Angel and the gang try to stop Micah Luke from initiating another apocalypse. La Morte and Faith will aid them in their fight but will their combined powers be enough to stop the crazed religious fanatic from succeeding? EPISODE COMPLETE!
1. Overture

Angel and Wesley walked side by side as they watched the others move along. Wesley waited until Willow and the others were out of hearing range before he spoke.  
  
"I can't believe Willow made us let them go, just when we had them in our grasp!" he muttered to his vampire friend who nodded briskly.  
  
"Wesley, I know the loss of Connor and the others hurt you deeply, and as much as I yearn for revenge, I must ignore it. We're no better than La Morte, and we're now on the same side. So I suggest that you stow away your hatred and concentrate on defeating the current threat at hand," Angel replied raising the tone of his voice.  
  
Wesley laughed, "I don't think I'll forgive and forget the deaths of my esteemed comrades. And I'll kill the slut and her murderous boyfriend by myself if I have to."  
  
"I don't want to hear any more of your vindictive desires, Wesley, right now, we have a bit more important issues to deal with than some petty quest for revenge."  
  
"Petty quest for revenge? Angel, he killed your son! Your flesh and blood, your friends and yet you feel some sympathy for such a malicious cur like him?" Wesley looked puzzled and angry as he spouted his words with disdain.  
  
"You forget that I was a malicious cur just like him, I know the pain he's going through. He did kill Connor, but vengeance is not justice and even if I were to follow your plan, it wouldn't bring Connor or the others back. All we would do is lower ourselves to the level of the enemies we are fighting and that must never happen."  
  
"Quite the philosopher you are, Angel," Wesley snickered, "oh well, I think Buffy will have the guts to get back at those two for what they did to us! It's a pity I never realized before what a naïve fool you are," Wesley turned his back on Angel and ran over to Buffy.  
  
Angel gritted his teeth and gave Wesley a hateful leer.  
  
"I'll tell Buffy, she wants justice for the others too," Wesley mused, as he inched towards Buffy.  
  
Wesley strutted off, jogging to catch up with the petite blonde slayer. He smiled; he would have his revenge yet.  
  
Angel watched with fear gnawing away at his soul. He was well aware of what treachery Wesley was capable of and he hoped Buffy wouldn't go along with his plan, but he knew deep down inside of him that she would. His best bet was to warn La Morte and Faith of Wesley's deceitful intentions if they arrived in time. But right now, he had to concentrate on stopping Micah Luke from sacrificing Dawn and ending the world. He quickened his pace to catch up with the others.  
  
Meanwhile, Giles and Willow were plodding along towards the front of the group. Giles still clutched his ax from the night's combat while Willow walked along calmly, seemingly unarmed but one could tell that she was one of the most powerful of the group even unarmed.  
  
Giles spoke up, "excuse Willow, but I would like to inquire why you had us spare those two? It seems a bit odd that you wanted to spare that demon-"  
  
Willow cut him off, "Giles, there are some things that not even you can possibly comprehend." She increased her pace, leaving Giles in the dust behind her.  
  
"How odd," Giles miffed and then he noticed Buffy and wesley whispering about something as they walked along. He watched the motions on their lips, slowly reading them as their plan unfolded before his brain. They had been faking their sincerity after the church battle and they were planning to kill Faith and La Morte if they joined in the fight against Micah Luke. Giles felt sick to the core as he realized how much his slayer had changed. He sympathized with them and he respected the fallen comrades who had died, but such insidious vengeance seemed dishonorable and foul to him.  
  
Whether or not Faith and La Morte deserved to be stabbed in the back didn't matter to him. He knew he had to reach Willow and tell her about the plot that was being formulated behind her back. But before he could, he heard Oz shouting and pointing to a tall building about a block away from them. Sure enough, it was the cathedral La Morte spoke of. Tall, graceful gothic styled arches loomed before them along with a massive belltower, religious statues and gargoyles.  
  
Inside, the survivors of the night attack stood chanting loudly in Latin while armed members and black and red-robed Jesuits stood alongside the altar, where Dawn lay bound.  
  
Dawn struggled against her bonds as the chanting rose to a crescendo, defeaning her with the loud Gregorian rhythms. It was like being caged in the lair of the Beast, a creepy reminder of years ago when Glory and her minions had imprisoned her before taking her to be sacrificed. She would've preferred to hear Glory's whining narcissism rather than the creepy chanting among the expressionless faces of the acolytes and priests that surrounded her.  
  
Then, the chanting stopped, but it was no time for relief as a yellow-robed priest walked into the chamber singing and swinging an incense urn, filling the room with the sweet, bitter smell of incense. He was followed by a group of red-robed Jesuits, all armed with ceremonial blades and then Micah Luke entered the room. The quiet room lit up as the fanatics began cheering and chanting as the flickering candlelight illuminated the huge man.  
  
Micah Luke was dressed in a suit of white armor with a surcoat bearing a flaming cross along his chest. He carried a long sword with twin serrated edges in both hands as if it were sacred. His blondish brown beard was thick and long as if he hadn't shaved for days. He looked dirty and unkempt despite his majestic armor but the creepiest part of him was his eyes. His eyes had no pupils nor irises, they were void of anything except a yellowish-white, pale glow.  
  
Micah and his entourage walked into the center of the altar. He spoke up, his southern twang clearly audible.  
  
"My brothers and sisters, the time has finally come to pass judgment upon the world. This world has been eroding with sin and godlessness. It is time to restore order and holiness upon this chaotic world, but first we must destroy it before it can be rebuilt in God's image. This is where she comes in handy," he smiled, motioning towards Dawn.  
  
Dawn tried to scream, but one of her bonds was across her mouth and prevented her from screaming. She watched in horror as he continued.  
  
"Yes friends, she is the key to all worlds. Once I spill her blood across the holy altar, the dimensions shall be undone and the world shall collapse upon itself. Once the world is destroyed, then it can be reborn, cleansed of sin and evil and remade in God's image. And I, your savior, Micah Luke, shall rule with the Lord for all millennia to come! Amen!"  
  
"Amen!" The crowd chanted louder and louder as they raised their fists into the air.  
  
Micah Luke motioned to quiet them down, "but as I am well aware that this girl has friends, I prepared a little surprise for them. You see, I have just completed a ritual in which I am now empowered with the hand of God. I cannot be harmed by anything of this world, only something created by only God himself can destroy me. No magic can touch me, no weapon forged by man, for I am invincible under the Lord's will. Nothing, not even the slayer or the vampire can stop me!" He raised his arms into the air, brandishing his sword.  
  
The crowd began chanting once again, some exuberantly cheering their master's impending victory.  
  
Dawn thought, man, and I thought Caleb was a nutcase, this guy's a total wacko! Worse, is that he's possibly one of the most powerful wacko's I've ever seen. She shut her ears to the rest of Micah Luke's tirade and hoped Buffy would come soon and put an end to the preacher's incessant rant. Her prayers were answered as a crossbow bolt sailed through the room, imbedding itself in one of the Jesuits who was standing beside her.  
  
Micah Luke whirled around to face the source of the bolt, "it seems the infidels have arrived! Taste the power of God ye mortals!" He laughed savagely as he motioned for his minions to surge forward and attack them.  
  
"Could you cut it with the Sunday school diatribe? It's kind of hurting my ears," Buffy smiled as she tossed the crossbow over to Wesley, disarmed the closest fanatic and engaged his compatriots with his sword, taking glee as she sent one howling to floor, covering his slashed face with his hands.  
  
"Micah Luke, you'll pay for Connor and the others!" Angel growled as her rushed into the fray, his game face on.  
  
Fanatics and Jesuits fell over backwards as they tried to face Willow, but she effortlessly knocked them aside with elemental spells. Xander and Oz stood side by side her, Xander swinging his ax into the melee while Oz in werewolf form howled away as he crushed those who opposed him.  
  
Kennedy was the first to reach the altar, she cut Dawn's bonds loose while fending off the armed Jesuits who tried to stop her. She was quickly joined by Buffy and Angel, who freed Dawn and told Kennedy to take her away to the others.  
  
Then, Micah Luke turned around and faced them. His face lost all trace of emotion as he began chanting something in Latin. Flame then gushed from his sword, Buffy and Angel only missed it by throwing themselves to the ground while Kennedy and Dawn rushed away towards the others.  
  
"Let the Lord cleanse ye infidels in holy fire," Micah Luke chanted-  
  
He was interrupted by Buffy, who used the opportunity to throw a knife that buried itself in La Morte's throat. The fanatic started gurgling and fell to the floor. Buffy and Angel rose to their feet and Angel was about to congratulate Buffy on her quick maneuver when Micah Luke rose to his feet and withdrew the blade from his neck. He stared at it and crushed it in his mailed fist.  
  
"You pathetic fools! How dare you tempt the Lord's power?" He screeched as he rushed at them, "Ye shall repent or face the righteous fury of the Lord!"  
  
Buffy braced herself in a fighting stance, "bring it on Jesus-boy," she smiled as the screaming fanatic rushed towards her and Angel. 


	2. Act One

Roll Titles: THE DAMNED  
  
STARRING  
  
Eliza Dushku as Faith  
  
Casey Affleck as Sir Robert La Morte  
  
Alexis Denisof as Wesley Wyndam-Pryce  
  
Alyson Hannigan as Willow Rosenberg  
  
David Boreanz as Angel  
  
And Seth Green as Daniel 'Oz' Osborne  
  
Guest Starring:  
  
Anthony Stewart Head as Rupert Giles  
  
Nicholas Brendon as Alexander 'Xander' Harris  
  
Michelle Trachtenberg as Dawn Summers  
  
Iyari Limon as Kennedy  
  
Vincent Karthieser as Connor  
  
Jake Busey as Micah Luke  
  
And Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy Summers  
  
CREATED BY  
Kurt Garwood  
  
Based on the shows Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel created by Joss  
Whedon  
  
WRITTEN BY  
Kurt Garwood  
  
Micah Luke ran straight at Buffy Angel, unimpeded by the weight of his armor, he swung his serrated sword wildly, hoping to catch either one off guard. Buffy and Angel parried by the blow, both grunting as they did so. Flustered by this brief setback, La Morte muttered something under his breath and a pale flame suddenly appeared in his hand. Smiling, he threw a ball of concentrated holy magic at Angel.  
  
"Disperse ye vile demon," he sneered.  
  
Luckily for Angel, La Morte hadn't been aiming very precisely and it missed the man-vampire slightly, blowing a huge chunk in the gothic walls.  
  
"Blast," Luke said, "although I suppose I should avoid blasphemy. Oh well, I guess I can do whatever I want, so the whole Ten Commandments thing really doesn't matter in the end." He chuckled and then started chanting loudly and multiple balls of fire appeared in the palm of his free hand. Buffy leapt down to the ground while Angel dived for the shelter of several arcane statues.  
  
Micah Luke started flinging the balls of holy fire wildly, first at Buffy and Angel and then he noticed Kennedy and Dawn trying to slip away in the chaotic melee swirling around him.  
  
"Ye shall not escape," the uber-preacher screamed and he hurled several fireballs in their direction. Kennedy felt a heated presence behind her and she instinctively fell the ground, bringing Dawn with her. The fireball landed several inches away from them, creating a small crater in the carpeting.  
  
Micah Luke jumped off of the altar and ran after the junior slayer and the key, sprinting as fast as he could. He reached them by the time Kennedy and Dawn managed to stand back up. They didn't have time to react before Micah Luke and several red-robed Jesuits seized Dawn. Dawn struggled, trying to free herself from the strong hands of the evil man that gripped her while Kennedy tried to fight off two of the Jesuits who stabbed at her with their long pikes. Micah Luke clamped a hand upon Dawn's mouth to prevent her from screaming. He winced as she bit down hard.  
  
"Filthy whore!" he snapped, "I'll kill you right now!" He pulled a dagger from his boot heel and tried to slash Dawn across the arm with the hope of drawing blood. Dawn fought back, managing a kick to his groin that knocked the dagger out of his hand. He hurled her against the floor and she hit it with a loud smack, stunning her against the hard stone.  
  
"That's better," he grinned as he raised his sword in a cleaving motion. Then, Angel, who had recovered, jumped him from behind and bit down savagely on Micah Luke's exposed neck. The fanatic screamed like a little girl, clawing at the vampire to let go but Angel intensified his bloodsucking. He felt blood trickle down his neck as he seized his sword and ran Angel through with a backward thrust. Luckily for Angel, he missed the vampire's heart completely but Angel felt a shooting pain in his stomach as the serrated holy sword plunged into it. He let go of Micah Luke's neck and freed himself, gritting his teeth as he tried to bear the intense pain.  
  
Micah Luke whirled around, his neck wound healing quickly. "Well vampire, I see that you have tasted the fury of my blade. Let's just say this sword has an aversion to demonic creatures and harms them greatly. Oh look, your wounds aren't healing as fast as they usually do. The thing I love about the sword the most is how it can wound demons gravely or even kill them with the slightest of wounds. Meanwhile, my little neck wound heals without any problem. Praise the Lord for that." He stepped forward, calmly eying Angel's intense pain.  
  
He heard a loud click from behind him and felt a crossbow bolt bury imbed itself in his back, penetrating out of his chest. Micah Luke turned around to face Buffy, who had confiscated a crossbow from one of Micah Luke's henchmen and had coolly aimed it at him.  
  
"You forget slayer that none of your little trinkets work against me now. I am the alpha and the omega, and nothing forged by man can harm me!" He rushed at her, ignoring the crossbow bolt sticking out of his chest. He managed several quick slashes and cut Buffy across the shoulder. Her slayer senses responded and she smashed the crossbow across the fanatic's face, stunning the fanatic whose shoulders she barely reached. He howled in pain as she headbutted him in the chest, knocking him backwards. He lashed out blindly with his sword and mailed fist, hoping to strike at the petite blonde. She dodged his blows and unsheathed her scimitar from her belt, slashing Micah Luke across the chest and piercing his armor as she did so.  
  
Micah Luke continued to stagger backwards as Buffy pressed her assault. She ran at him, kicking and punching between sword swipes. Covered in bruises, lacerations and wounds, Micah Luke fled in terror, still blinded by splinters in his eyes. He smashed against the wall in a comical manner and lay still for a moment. Buffy helped up Angel who was still reeling from his wounds to his feet, his face dazed and in grievous pain.  
  
They only had a second respite before La Morte was back on his feet, healing and angrier than ever. He scrambled for his serrated sword and he started hurling holy bolts at them while he did so. Buffy was then startled by a loud scream. It was Dawn who was being dragged off by a group of fanatics led by several Jesuits.  
  
"Dawn!" Buffy shouted and she rushed after the surging mass, who was all trying to drag her over to the altar for sacrifice.  
  
Willow, Xander and Giles heard her voice and fought their way through the struggling mass of fanatics. Willow bowled them over with a magic force, clearing a path for them to aid Buffy in her struggle. They reached Buffy and joined her in her fight to free Dawn from the clutches of the fanatics.  
  
Meanwhile, Wesley, Oz and Angel fought ferociously to delay Micah Luke from rallying the remnants of his crusaders, who still numbered well over a hundred. Oz knocked his opponents aside with the raking force of his claws and massive werewolf frame while Wesley picked off enemies from a distance as Angel protected him.  
  
Giles, Xander and Buffy fought side by side with Willow and Kennedy. Xander knocked enemies aside with his ax while he fought to reach Dawn. Giles watched his back, slashing and cleaving faces, hands and bodies that tried to get his way. Kennedy and Buffy used a combination of swordplay and martial arts to combat their foes, breaking bones and burying their blades in anyone who tried to stop them. A Jesuit tried to use his ceremonial spear as a practical weapon, but Buffy knocked aside with a kick and then she knocked him unconscious with an uppercut to the forehead. Willow send a fireball careening into another group of fanatics that tried to rush the exposed group from behind, singing or frying the zealots.  
  
But suddenly, one of the Jesuits managed to sneak up upon Willow from behind a row of statues. He struck her on the head from behind with a mace, smiling as the blunt end of his elaborate club bashed against her cranium, sending the Witch into unconsciousness.  
  
"Willow!" Kennedy screamed and she picked up one of the spears from a fallen fanatic and skewered the red-robed figure with it, watching in fury as he slumped to the ground, smashing into a statue as he bled to death on the floor.  
  
"Looks like you're out of luck," a voice from behind them said. Micah Luke stood there, his eyes gleaming with bloodlust. Now, he looked more invincible than ever to the group of warriors who had just lost their slight advantage over him- their spellcaster lay knocked out on the floor.  
  
"And now I have you where I want you," Micah Luke grinned gleefully as he walked towards the group, brandishing his blade. He was followed by several dozen of his followers, all of them with the same sinister glee on their faces as they pointed pikes and spears at the group.  
  
Buffy's eyes darted towards Micah Luke, then back at the Jesuits who were tying Dawn up in order to prepare her for the sacrifice. "We're trapped," she shouted to the rest of the group.  
  
"Yeah, I thought that was kind of obvious," Xander replied. "It's either save Dawn and get skewered by these guys at our backs or defeat the big bad while his henchmen end the world. This seems like a definite lose-lose situation."  
  
"Our best bet is to keep Micah Luke and his men at bay while Buffy and Kennedy free Dawn," Giles spoke up hurriedly, "might as well go down fighting." He hefted his ax before burying it into the chest of a charging fanatic who ran out from the safety of the wall of spears bearing down upon them.  
  
"Xander you try to revive Willow and help Giles, Kennedy, I want you to follow me," Buffy relayed her orders quickly. There was no room for opposition, everyone knew that they were in a cul-de-sac. Kennedy slashed, punched and kicked her way through the masses of red robes in order to reach Dawn. Buffy watched her back, slicing off the limbs or slashing anyone who tried to strike at Kennedy from the rear. They soon cleared a path, leaving dead and wounded Jesuits laying on the ground behind them. Buffy reached the altar right as one of the Jesuits was about to slit Dawn's throat.  
  
"Sorry to interrupt, but that's my sister," Buffy tackled him, smashing him down to the ground and sending his knife clattering against the floor. His three fellow priests tried to help him, but Kennedy easily dispatched them. Buffy and the master Jesuit scuffled briefly, but Buffy soon gained the upper hand, overpowered him and effortlessly snapped his neck.  
  
Buffy cut Dawn's bonds as Kennedy took care of another group of Jesuits who tried to stop them. Buffy supported Dawn, who was staggering in shock while Kennedy watched their backs. They made their way to Giles and Xander, who were gradually losing ground as the fanatics pushed them back.  
  
As Buffy, Dawn and Kennedy reached Giles and Xander, Micah Luke's soldiers parted ranks in order for him to step in front of them. There were probably only about thirty left, their numbers thinned by the battle, but the survivors looked grim and eager to continue fighting.  
  
Micah Luke walked up to within several paces of the group. He eyed them evilly, "I think it would be quite gratifying if I started with the slayer herself." He patted his sword against his free hand, "or should I just take care of the Key once and for all? Decisions, decisions." He interrupted himself, "oh by the way, I took care of your friends, well, unfortunately, the werewolf escaped, but I'm sure he'll be back to save his witch." He snickered as a burly fanatic dragged Wesley, who was bruised and beaten and threw him on the floor in front of Micah Luke. Another fanatic dragged a wounded Angel and deposited him at the feet of his commander.  
  
"But better yet, why don't I take care of the vampire first," Micah smiled, "this should be entertaining."  
  
He was interrupted by a voice behind him; he whirled around to face a figure shrouded in a black cloak while a shorter figure stood at his side.  
  
"Praise the Lord! It's Robert La Morte!" Micah's face lit up, "I'm afraid we missed you at the service today, but never fear! The time of atonement is at hand, I am about to eradicate these infidels and fulfill our destiny. Care to join me?"  
  
"Of course," La Morte walked out of the shadows. He took off his cloak, exposing his shining black armor. He unsheathed his claymore and started towards Micah Luke, who turned his face to gloat at Buffy and her friends. La Morte used the opportunity to manage a wink at Angel. Micah Luke turned around, his stupid grin still on his face.  
  
"'Bout time you showed up brother, these people were giving some trouble," he lowered his sword, expecting La Morte to finish off Angel and the others.  
  
"Yes, you're right. It's about time indeed," La Morte walked next to La Morte, raising his sword as if to bury into Angel. Then, he suddenly turned aside at an angle and ran Micah Luke through the stomach. A wave of gasps went across Micah Luke's followers as they watched their champion strike at their leader.  
  
"Nice Job R, now it's time I took care of these boys," Faith revealed herself in the shadows and charged at the thirty odd group. She dodged a spear thrust, and knocked the weapon from the fanatic's grasp with a well aimed punch. She ducked as a fanatic slashed at her with an ax, sneaking under the man's guard and burying her blade into his stomach. Their confronters now distracted, Buffy and Xander carried Dawn and Willow away while Giles and Kennedy cleared a path for them. Angel staggered to his feet and joined Faith in pummeling the rest of Micah Luke's followers. He knocked an onrushing fanatic aside and seized her weapon, lashing out at his enemies with the ferocity of a wounded animal.  
  
Meanwhile, Wesley crawled off in the chaos towards where he had been disarmed of his crossbow. He saw the crossbow lying next to a row of smashed statues and dead fanatics and he dragged himself to it, wincing as he felt pain shoot through his wounded leg. La Morte had saved his life, but he didn't care. The monster would pay for what he had done to Wesley's friends. A crossbow bolt to his forehead would stun him and then Wesley could either use Micah Luke's sword or La Morte's sword to dispatch him.  
  
Buffy, Giles, Xander and Kennedy managed to clear through the rest of the mob and carried Dawn and Willow out of the cathedral. They watched as Angel and Faith dispatched the rest of Micah Luke's fighters. The dark slayer and the souled vampire fought like a merciless team, smashing aside their opposition, who fell in droves before their wrathful blades. The ten or so fanatics that remained fled the room towards the catacombs underneath.  
  
Meanwhile, La Morte dragged the wounded Micah Luke towards the altar. He pulled his sword out from Micah Luke's body, taking pleasure in the zealot's pain. He seized Luke by the shoulders and rammed him against the altar. Then, he savagely kicked him in the groin.  
  
"This is for all the innocent people who died today, Micah, all because of your mad dream of conquest," La Morte spoke angrily, "for hundreds of years I have watched as religious fanatics like you have carried their reign of terror across the world, slaughtering more innocents than any demon ever could. You are scum, the very monster you claim to fight. But I vowed to never kill again after tonight, I'll never resort that depraved level again! Not even on some vile cur like you!" He walked away, leaving Micah Luke sputtering and coughing up blood.  
  
He walked over to Angel and Faith.  
  
"Nice acting, you had me fooled for a moment," Angel managed a smile, "you guys saved our lives, we wouldn't have had a chance if it hadn't been for you."  
  
"Guess we aren't murderers anymore, that's a welcome change," Faith returned the smile, "so back to the Hyperion with the others?"  
  
They turned to follow Buffy and the others when they heard the sound of a crossbow clicking behind them. The three gradually turned around to face Wesley, who had struggled to his feet and now held a crossbow aimed at La Morte.  
  
"Not so fast, it's judgment day La Morte!" Wesley snarled. Buffy then appeared behind Faith and Angel, armed with a crossbow she had taken from one of the dead fanatics. She cocked it and aimed it at Faith.  
  
"Buffy, Wesley, this is madness," Angel shouted, trying to persuade his comrades to lower their weapons.  
  
"No Angel, this is what needs to be done," Buffy answered him coldly, "Faith can live, but I want to see La Morte dead."  
  
Oz then appeared out of one of the dark corridors in his human form. He had taken some clothes off of a dead zealot and now he was armed with a pike. He walked up to join Buffy and leveled the weapon at Angel.  
  
"Glad to know you're okay Oz, La Morte just tried to kill Wesley and we're going to finish the traitor right now," Buffy greeted him. "Make sure Angel and Faith try not to stop us."  
  
"B, you can't let Wesley do this! Don't let him kill Robert-" Faith pleaded with her sister slayer, staring back at La Morte.  
  
"If you wish to kill me, Wesley, then do so, I shall not oppose you," La Morte dropped his sword, which clattered to the floor. Wesley watched him do this with an eager look on his face while Buffy and Oz stared emotionless.  
  
"Prepare to die, monster!" Wesley shouted as his finger inched towards the trigger. 


	3. Act Two

Willow felt her mind drifting in and out of consciousness. Her attacker had knocked her out cold for almost twenty minutes, but she was slowly awakening. She sensed hatred and anger in the room around her, but she also felt a tingling sensation that there was something evil in the room. Something far powerful and maniacal than Micah Luke was in the room, from whom she felt his thoughts of dread and terror. What could frighten a crazed madman like him? She thought as her eyes slowly opened, revealing a hazy vision of the room around her.  
  
She heard the faint sound of Giles' voice in her ears as she groggily came to. He managed to hear him say, "Willow.wake up! Wesley's.La Morte, Faith and Angel.in peril.you must stop them!" Finally, her vision cleared and she saw Faith and Angel surrounded by a weapon-wielding Buffy and Oz, who were watching their allies as if they were hawks circling around their quarry. La Morte stood outside of the circle, kneeling before Wesley, his arms outstretched as if he was inviting death to overtake him. Wesley held the crossbow upraised and pointed it straight at La Morte's head, his finger inching on the trigger.  
  
Willow glanced over at the altar where Micah Luke lay in a pool of his own blood. He was still very much alive, but he had a horrified expression of terror on his face as he watched Wesley and the others. The red-haired witch muttered a spell which would allow her to see ethereal forms and suddenly everything froze and the room turned dark.  
  
She saw a figure standing next to Wesley. It was Connor, but he was bloodstained and covered in wounds, a horrific corpse. But Willow knew this was definitely not the Connor she knew. It was an old enemy from Sunnydale in disguise. Connor whispered into Wesley's ear, Willow heard him say "do it Wesley, avenge me. Kill the murderer! He must pay!"  
  
"No!" Willow screamed and quickly cast a protective spell around La Morte just as Wesley pulled the trigger on the crossbow. The room suddenly returned to normal, absent of the whirling shadows of the spirit world. The crossbow bolt sailed several inches before smashing into the shield, which deflected it and the bolt ricocheted off and slammed into the wall.  
  
"How dare you try to stop justice witch?" Wesley snarled as he struggled to reload the crossbow. Willow stared at him and sent him flying against the wall, making a loud smack as he hit it. Angel and Faith used her attack as a distraction and speedily disarmed Buffy and Oz, who were awestruck by the sudden turn of events. Angel seized Buffy, noting the glazed expression on her face and he shook her.  
  
"Buffy, wake up!" He said to her as he shook her violently. Buffy's eyes fluttered and she returned to consciousness, she freed herself from Angel's grip.  
  
"What happened? I was standing there for a moment and then I just lost control of myself. I was in this nightmare surrounded by all these decaying corpses who were crying out for justice and revenge. It was horrible! They said you; Faith and La Morte had to be punished for what you did. I saw Jenny, Connor, Wood, Fred and Gunn among them. They almost would've coerced me into killing you if Willow hadn't intervened."  
  
Angel hugged Buffy, who was shaking uncontrollably. She softened up and gradually cooled down. Faith revived Oz, who looked as shocked as Buffy had been.  
  
"Faith, I'm sorry, when I was in those catacombs, I saw these eyeless men clustered around some sort of magical circle. Then, Connor visited and spoke to me, telling me that I needed to help the others because La Morte was trying to kill them. It took a hold of me like I was almost in a trance, I couldn't resist it. Luckily Willow woke up in time and saved us all."  
  
"Oz, yours and Buffy's visions means that we have a problem. A very serious one that I thought we all defeated back in Sunnydale," Faith's eyes shot from him to Buffy. "The First has returned."  
  
"But that's impossible!" Giles chimed in, "we stopped it from ending the world and Buffy destroyed it! Her power should have been enough to obliterate it's ethereal form."  
  
"Uh guys," Xander, who was slugging a limp Dawn alongside him, piped up, "I think we have more pressing problems than the First right now." He pointed over to the altar, where Micah Luke had risen up, his wounds mysteriously healed.  
  
Micah Luke looked down at his healed body and smiled, "I knew I could use your newfound compassion to my advantage Robert, but I don't think you and your friends will make that mistake ever again." He raised the sword, "I shall the key and none of you can stop me! Oh, and thanks for knocking Wesley out, now the First Evil has entered my body. It's quite exhilarating for both of us right now; our combined powers make us invincible. I didn't expect your infantile attempts to succeed back in Sunnydale, but no matter, I shall succeed nevertheless."  
  
La Morte rose to his feet while Micah Luke loudly boasted of his newfound power. He snuck over and took up his sword.  
  
"I thought I could let you go Micah, but I should've expected such opportunism from a foul knave like you. I can't believe I actually followed the orders of some crazed fanatic like you. You're nothing but a false priest, and now you're the same as the monsters you promised that you would destroy. How pathetic indeed. Come and get me, Micah and let's finish this." He raised the claymore as an invitation for Micah to attack him.  
  
Micah took the bait and charged at him, La Morte glanced back at the others, "get out of here! I'll hold him off!"  
  
The group was stunned to hear La Morte's orders for them to fall back, but Faith reacted first, "Buffy, you and I should go into the catacombs and find the bringers. If you can kill them and disrupt their ritual, then the First will vanish and Micah Luke will be left next to defenseless. Xander, Willow, you take Dawn and the others outside the church. If we're not out of the church in fifteen minutes, I want you to level it. La Morte can take this guy, but he's gonna need some help."  
  
"I'll stay with him," Angel answered her, "besides, I have some loose ends to tie up with the First." He picked up his blade and joined La Morte. They greeted Micah Luke's charge by deflecting his first attack. Angel attacked Micah Luke from his vulnerable side while La Morte blocked the fallen priest's lightning attacks.  
  
Xander and Giles followed Faith's orders and helped the others out of the church. Faith and Buffy ran down into the darkened corridors leading down into the subterranean tunnels underneath the church. The two slayers crept along the corridors, aided only by the light of a few torches left in their sconces along the walls.  
  
Buffy whispered, "Faith, I'm sorry for what happened. I know it all started when Xander and the others left you to fend off La Morte by yourself. If I had been there, that wouldn't have happened-"  
  
"Don't worry about it B, thanks to your friends, I got a new boy toy and he's the perfect guy for me. Well, there is the whole thing about him either being a ruthless demonic killer or a brooding mess of tortured humanity, but he's great in bed."  
  
Buffy laughed at her friend's joke, "still the same old Faith," she chuckled, "that's what I always liked about you. How we were so different, you were always the bad girl with the dark past while I was the goody two shoes with her friends. But we're not anymore, I know now that I am no better than you Faith; I love the slaying as much as you do, and it's consumed my life completely. Everything I held dear, everyone I once loved is vanished, everyone's changed. Giles, Willow, Xander, they're nothing like they used to be when times were better. Spike was the only person in my life who was sympathetic to my problems after they yanked me out from heaven, he understood my hellish mortal existence. And I don't want it anymore, all I want to do is to have a normal life, keep my sister safe and make sure she has the life I should have had."  
  
"Don't say that B," Faith's brown eyes met Buffy's blue ones. "Heck, I always looked up to you. That's why I envied you so much, because you were a natural leader who could manage to maintain her social life. Me, I'm nothing compared to you, people died when I took charge back in Sunnydale and look at me, all I've known is a life of violence and upheaval. I can't take on the slaying duties alone, especially with an unstable boyfriend and almost nobody else to help me. I don't think I can do it B."  
  
Buffy answered her, "Faith, you have to , you have no choice. You are the real chosen one, I'm supposed to be dead. Last night, the first slayer visited me, I didn't tell you because I was brooding over Spike and I feared you would take her message too hard. She told me that when I died, all of my enhanced slayer powers went over to you, when I was resurrected, I gained powers from the earth and the powers that me granted me back my former slayer strength. But Faith, you must understand that I am no longer the chosen one who must protect the world from evil, that burden has fallen upon your shoulders whether you like or not. The first slayer also told me that you 'must not make the same mistakes as me, your power and abilities come from a different source than me. You're more passionate, more individualistic and slaying is your life; all of those gifts have been your weaknesses, but you can overcome them. Before she left, she also predicted your relationship with 'the black knight' who roams in the shadows. She said it was your duty to bring him over to your side, which you have done, but the path shall be difficult. You both shall play critical roles in the end of the world, along with Angel. I know Angel's supposed to be the champion, but she didn't really explain clearly what your roles would be. Then, I was whisked away from some African desert to Los Angeles, I saw this alternate reality where the world ended, it was a place too horrible to imagine. Then, I found myself in a white room surrounded by several figures dressed in clothes that shared the same colors as the room. The place was so brightly lit that I could barely discern their figures, but I knew who they were. They introduced themselves as the powers that be and they told me what I must do and what I must tell you, then they vanished into thin air and I woke up."  
  
"Wow B," Faith replied, backing against the wall while deep in thought as Buffy explained her dream to her. "I once tried to destroy the world, now I'm supposed to save it? Isn't that ironic?" She chuckled briefly at the last comment but cleared her throat. "But B, I seriously can't do it without you. I'm no leader, your friends probably don't trust me and I don't know what I'm supposed to do, how can I follow this prophecy of yours?"  
  
"You can by overcoming these disadvantages. You're a different person than me, but you have the qualities in you which will allow you to emerge as a natural leader. You have the potential to become even greater than either me, Angel or even La Morte. All you have to do is believe in yourself and discover the powers within you," Buffy explained slowly, her eyes piercing into Faith.  
  
"Spare me the self-help diatribe B', you're starting to sound like G-man," Faith whispered back, "but if you say it was the powers and the first slayer who gave you this information then I'll just have to discover more about myself and travel to the new hellmouth in Cleveland."  
  
"It's your destiny Faith, you can't avoid it. The others will follow, just give them time," Buffy smiled and walked up to Faith, she stroked her hair and massaged the raven-haired slayer's shoulders in a sisterly manner. She stopped as she heard the low murmur of chanting in the catacombs about fifty feet around the corner.  
  
"Shhhh, it's the bringers," Buffy's manner changed from friendly to cold as she resumed her mental concentration. "Here's the plan Faith, we sneak up on them, you take the farthest ones and smash their ritual circle. I'll take on the others. Hopefully we can disrupt the First's power and banish it from Micah Luke's body."  
  
Faith nodded, "sounds good B'." They crept up slowly until they reached the corner. Faith glanced around the corner and eyed the ritual. Four eyeless harbringers sat around a circle, muttering incantations and prayers in some obscene pagan tongue. She looked back at Buffy, "there's only four of them, let's do it."  
  
Faith ran out into the catacombs, jumping over skeletons and debris as she raced to reach the circle with Buffy in hot pursuit behind her.  
  
Meanwhile, in the cathedral, Robert La Morte and Angel were locked in desperate combat with Micah Luke. Angel managed to inflict several deep wounds on Micah Luke, but his armor was resistant to most of Angel's blows while most of the wounds Angel inflicted healed almost instantaneously. La Morte managed to block most of Micah Luke's blows, but he was being to tire especially after Micah ended up scoring a blow through his black armor. He pierced the black knight's shoulder with his sword, the holy blade sending the half-demon into spasms of severe pain.  
  
"Taste the word of the Lord demon, although I suppose I shouldn't refer to myself in third person," Micah Luke chuckled as La Morte staggered backwards, reeling in pain. Angel then jumped on Micah Luke's exposed back and ran the fallen holy man through the heart with his sword. Micah was surprised from the sneak attack, but he easily threw Angel off his back and withdrew the blade from his backside. He tossed it aside and walked towards Angel, wielding his sword in a threatening fashion.  
  
"It's time for you to die vampire, you and your meddling friends have interfered in my business for too long," Micah Luke snarled, stamping his feet as he stepped closer to Angel, who was crawling on the floor. The preacher seized Angel by his shirt, clamping his cold hands on Angel's throat and he squeezed as hard as he could, Angel resisted but his strength gradually ebbed. Sensing victory drawing near, Micah Luke raised his serrated sword as if to bury it in Angel's vulnerable heart but he groaned as La Morte's claymore suddenly came out from behind him and ran him through his left lung and heart. Micah Luke fell to the ground and released Angel from his viselike grip. His sword fell to ground away from his grasp. La Morte, who was bleeding profusely from his shoulder wound twisted the hilt of the sword to inflict more pain on his collapsed foe. Micah Luke yowled in pain as he tried to inch towards his blade.  
  
Just then, Faith reached the circle. With a quick motion of her arm, she decapitated the nearest bringer and smashed another's face with a sharp kick. Then, she kicked over the totems in the center of the circle and started stamping out the chalk. One of the bringers came out of his comatose state and tried to stop her, but Buffy appeared behind him and snapped his neck without a trace of emotion. The last bringer was still in a hibernation-like state when Buffy ran him through with her scimitar, wincing as his blood splattered all over her shirt.  
  
Micah Luke suddenly started flopping around like a fish, his mouth and eyes wide open in horror. "Nooo, those accursed slayers have ruined everything! I'm losing my power, I'm disappearing." Angel used the opportunity to dive for the stunned fanatic's holy sword. He caught in the middle of his dive and he raised the sword in his hand and planted it in Luke's back alongside La Morte's sword. Micah Luke started making a loud hissing noise and started flailing about in his death throes before his eyes misted up and he became limp.  
  
"That takes care of him, the world shall no longer hear his messages of hatred and violence," La Morte spoke nonchalantly as he withdrew his sword from the shattered corpse. He rose to his feet and helped Angel up, who was also severely drained from his earlier wound.  
  
Angel nodded, "I think we're even now," managing a smile. La Morte didn't grin, but he showed a look of relief in spite of his ghostly pale features and unkempt hair. Suddenly, they both heard the whistling sound of a crossbow bolt, which buried itself in La Morte's chest. La Morte fell to the ground and started wheezing as he shook violently. "Poison," he rasped before his eyes glazed over and he slipped into darkness. 


	4. Act Three

Angel, barely supporting himself whirled around to face a triumphant Wesley. Wesley walked up to Angel, laughing loudly as he exclaimed his victory.  
  
"Outstanding Angel, I must say, a wonderful job of taking care of that annoying preacher. As for our friend Robert, I gave him a little parting gift. It's the same poison Faith used when she tried to kill you back in Sunnydale, the one that only can be cured by the blood of the slayer. It's quite nifty how it works on demons in the same way as vampires, I knew the man had to have an Achilles' heel and the wounds left by Micah Luke's sword on him reified my theory."  
  
Angel lost his temper and socked Wesley as hard as he could, and sent the former watcher sprawling against the hard floor. He kicked the crossbow away and savagely kicked Wesley in the solar plexus.  
  
"You're a disgrace Wesley, you always have been. I should have abandoned you to your fate years ago, but I felt like being compassionate. And look how you repaid me? You repaid me by descending into madness and vengeance, following the commands of the First Evil!" He spat directly into Wesley's face, the watcher winced as it landed in his eyes.  
  
Buffy and Faith suddenly appeared out of the darkened corridors to the catacombs. Both were exuberant and exhausted from the night's constant fighting, their faces cheerful but their mirth vanished as they saw La Morte laid out cold against the wall while Angel stood over a defiant Wesley.  
  
"Oh my God, what did Wes do to Robert?" Faith screamed as she ran over to her lover's limp form.  
  
"He poisoned him with the same poison you tried to kill me with; Angel spoke softly, "I'm afraid we might lose him." His sad brown eyes stared into Faith's. Faith looked down at her lover and instantaneously slit her wrist before Buffy or Angel could stop her. She forcefully opened his mouth and pressed her slit wrist against La Morte's tongue.  
  
Buffy tried to run to Faith and stop her, but Angel put his arm in front of her to block her. He looked down at her concerned face.  
  
"The Powers told me that La Morte must be kept alive because he has a role in the apocalypse," Angel muttered to her. Buffy returned the glance and then stared over at Faith who was holding her boyfriend and kept her wrist to his mouth. She saw an anguished Faith, a woman she had never seen before.  
  
"Reminds me of well..me," she said nonchalantly, "Faith's never loved anyone like that. I've never see this before in my life." Buffy looked up at Angel. "It's like you and me back in Sunnydale."  
  
Angel looked down at her, his eyes tender and anguished. "Yes, it is," he answered her as they watched Faith try to revive her boyfriend as she was strained almost to the point of breaking down. Giles and the others soon appeared beside Buffy and Angel. The tall watcher stared down at Micah Luke's corpse, then to the wounded Wes who lay on the floor licking his wounds and then over to Faith huddled over La Morte with her bleeding wrist against his mouth.  
  
"Wesley- he did this?" Giles looked shocked and stared at the carnage around him.  
  
Angel nodded, "La Morte saved our lives and this is how he repaid him. He used the same poison in the arrow that Faith tried to kill me with a long time ago."  
  
Giles stared down in shock, his face astonished and strained. Willow stood next to him, her eyes almost strained to the point of tears at the pathetic sight. Kennedy stood next to her, trying to offer her comfort. Oz and Xander stood off to the side, Oz sighed and walked away, followed by Xander who shot a quick glance of sympathy over to Faith before he walked out of the cathedral.  
  
Angel let go of Buffy and walked up slowly to Faith. He put his strong around Faith, whose body was heaving with grief. He stroked her strained face gently, trying to comfort the dark slayer. She looked up at him as if to implore him to help her. He returned the favor and helped her pick up and support La Morte's limp body. They carried him up to the waiting faces of Willow, Buffy, Giles and Kennedy. The others followed them, Willow and Buffy offering their services to Faith. The procession passed Wesley, who lay on the floor out of breath and nursing his wounds.  
  
Faith shot him a look of pure hatred; Wes returned the favor with an evil smirk on his face. He spoke up loudly, "the monster deserved it. I gave him justice! Now he shall pay for his crimes!" Wes managed a gleeful laugh, "will someone help me up?"  
  
Faith and Angel walked right past him, ignoring his plea while they supported La Morte.  
  
Wesley shot an imploring look over to Willow and Kennedy. Willow shook her head and walked off, followed by Kennedy. They turned their backs on him and followed Faith and Angel out of the cathedral.  
  
Giles was the only one left in the cathedral besides Wes. The two fallen watchers exchanged glances, Wesley opened his mouth in a smile, "c'mon Rupert, lend some aid to your fellow watcher." He raised his hand for Giles to grab.  
  
Giles stared back at him with an icy expression on his face. He seized Wes' arm and twisted it severely, spreading a wave of pain across the other's arm. Wesley gritted his teeth as Giles applied even greater pressure almost to the point of shattering the bone. Giles' reply was stone cold, "the Wesley I knew is gone. And you're far worse than the monster you stabbed in the back."  
  
He released Wesley's arm and stood over him while the fallen watcher clutched his twisted arm. He stared back at Giles in hatred, his unshaven face accentuating his bruised and wounded look.  
  
Giles raised his voice, "and if ever see you try to kill Faith or Robert again, you have my word that I will personally tear you limb from limb. And if I don't, then you know Angel or Buffy will. And I hope to never see the sorry sight of you again in my life."  
  
He was about to walk off before Wesley tried to plead with him, "Giles, you and I both know that the Watcher's council needs to be rebuilt. We're just about the only ones left and we can work together and build a new order!" His eyes lit up with the thought of being reinstated as the head of the council.  
  
Giles turned around and faced him, "Sod off." His remark stung Wesley as the other former watcher walked out of the cathedral, shutting the doors behind him, leaving Wesley alone with the corpses of Micah Luke and his fanatics.  
  
Or so it seemed. To Wesley's mind he was surrounded by the bloody forms of Gunn, Fred, Wood, Lorne and Connor. Connor stretched out his hand for Wesley to grab and the Irish tracker helped the former watcher up onto his feet.  
  
He spoke to Wes, "it is as we feared, and I believe La Morte is going to survive, thanks to the intervention of that pesky traitor Faith."  
  
"What? That's impossible! I put in a large enough dosage to kill Angel five times!" Wesley snarled his face a mask of rage.  
  
"Unfortunately, it seems that that wasn't enough to kill him. But never mind, it's only a temporary setback Wes. You know what you have to do," Connor eyes bored into Wesley's face, filling the watcher's thoughts with the happy memories of Connor and the others while they were alive. Then, his mind flashed back to each and every one of their murders. He watched again as La Morte skewered them with his blade, laughing savagely as he did that.  
  
"You must avenge us Wes, we cannot rest until you have brought the black knight to justice," Connor's face was a mask of pain and sorrow. He whispered sharply into Wes' ears telling the fallen man that Faith and the others would travel to Cleveland over the next few days.  
  
"The monster has a weakness. If you have a weapon enchanted with demonic or holy magic, then you can kill him easily. Just make sure you bring something to take care of the meddling slayer and her friends," Connor-the First snickered before he vanished, leaving Wesley alone and standing upright in the church.  
  
"Yes, I know the right tool to take care of them indeed," Wesley smiled as he walked up to Micah Luke's disemboweled corpse. He picked up the preacher's holy blade and smiled as he admired its serrated edges. "Now all I need is a gun to take care of Faith," Wes smiled as he slung the sword over his shoulder and headed out of the silent cathedral.  
  
The Hyperion Hotel loomed in the distance, its edifice bleak and desolate in the silver moonlight. It had been a dark, harsh day for everyone, but luckily, thanks to their perseverance, they had once again prevailed over great odds and avoided another apocalypse. But not without great cost, several members had died horribly, including almost all of Angel's friends; Wes had been alienated by the rest of the group and now seemed to be consumed with hate and vengeance. La Morte was gravely wounded and near death while Buffy was consumed in self-doubt. It had been a difficult victory indeed.  
  
Angel and Faith carried La Morte upstairs to one of the rooms left untouched by the bloody confrontation and deposited him in bed. Faith stripped off his black armor to reveal the extent of the poison's reach and the wound's severity. Angel winced as he watched Faith uncover a gaping hole in the man's chest from which blackish red blood seeped out.  
  
She had bandaged her wound, but she realized that more of her blood was needed in order for La Morte's body to battle the fatal poison seeping through his veins. She tossed the bandage aside and placed her wrist back beside her lover's mouth, gritting her teeth as she squeezed her arm with the hope of drawing blood outside her wound into his gaping mouth. Luckily, the black knight was conscious enough to lick up the blood and swallow it, Faith persisted with draining herself until she felt too weak to continue and fainted next to him from the loss of blood.  
  
Angel hurried over to her and revived her, worried that her sacrifice may have cost her life, sending her into a coma from which she would never recover. He felt her wrist to check for a pulse, he felt relieved when he discovered circulation in the artery. Angel lifted Faith and set her down on a chair next to the bed. He looked back at La Morte who lay on his back, his eyes closed and his mouth left gaping open. Angel walked over to him and checked for a pulse, expecting nothing. He was astonished to discover a faint but still beating pulse.  
  
"Incredible," he shook his head, "he must play a very important role indeed." He shuffled out of the room, closing the door and shutting of the lights as he did so. The souled vampire then walked downstairs to find almost everyone else laid on either the couches or the floor in a deep sleep. With one exception in the form of a petite blonde who paced by the window, watching the first signs of dawn appear on the horizon. Her little sister lay cuddled up next to her.  
  
Angel walked up as close as he could to her while he avoided the sunlight. He stood several feet away from her and stared at her. She returned the glance, her blue eyes meeting his brown ones.  
  
Buffy spoke up, her voice mellow with depression, "Angel, I'm sorry but I can't do this anymore. I know I'm the slayer, but there are others.and Faith is supposed to become the new champion for the light. As for me.I don't know, but I want to settle down with Dawn somewhere where there are no demons or vampires. It will be a place where no one cares about mystical keys, cryptic prophecies or slayer's destinies. I love you Angel, but you have a destiny that awaits you, that I have no control over and I'm tired of the good fight, I need to settle down and enjoy a normal life."  
  
Angel shrugged, "I don't know Buffy, and we still need you. Not just me, Willow, Faith and Giles respect you and still need your leadership. I don't have anyone in the world right now, Connor and the others are dead, Wes has gone insane and your friends probably don't want my company. You're the only one who still cares for me Buffy and I still love you, I'll always love you." "But there's the curse Angel-"  
  
"I don't care Buffy! I want to be with you, we'll overcome this curse, I know we can!" exclaimed Angel, his eyes brimming with sadness. He tried to reach out to Buffy with his hand, ignoring the first rays of sunlight piercing through the dark sky. He ignored the pain as his arm started to smoke, hoping Buffy would take it and they could share one last embrace.  
  
But Buffy just shook her head and walked away. She turned around to face him briefly, her sad eyes meeting his.  
  
"I'm sorry Angel, I love you, but Dawn needs me and we need to just get away from this endless string of death and apocalypse, we need a normal life." Her face looked melancholy as she shared several moments with Angel, then she turned away and she went down the corridor past the lighted window.  
  
Angel withdrew his arm, flinching as he felt a stabbing pain shoot across his arm. He sighed softly as he wandered off as the orange sky glowed in the horizon. Angel ignored the open window and walked away, leaving the window open as he ventured off.  
  
"It's not meant to be, it's just not meant to be," he gritted his teeth as he muttered the phrase to himself, shaking his head. He walked off into the dark corridors of the Hyperion where he could hide from the piercing sunlight.  
  
He still longed for the lovely blonde slayer, but she seemed to no longer care for him nor anyone else except for her sister. She had changed and had no place for him in her life, it felt as if Angel's life was meaningless but he tried to force those thoughts out of his head, concentrating on his duty as the chosen champion for good. He knew there were others that needed him and he would be there for them, even if Buffy had abandoned him, he would not abandon those in need. 


	5. Act Four

The orange sun rose across the horizon, bringing the city out of darkness. The residents of the Hyperion gradually awoke each slowly becoming aware that a new day had arrived. This day felt different, it felt empty and different than any others before. It would be a day of change, new courses were to be laid out and new champions would rise to the call of duty. Unnoticed by the others, they were absent two members.  
  
Giles was the first to rise, he slowly ambled down the stairs to the kitchen where he perused the pantry for his breakfast. He made himself a cup of warm tea before he sat down on the table and read the latest issue of the LA Times. Giles tried to forget the deaths of friends and allies of the night before and tried to concentrate on the task at hand. The Watcher's Council in England had been effectively destroyed and the survivors were scattered across the globe. Their own arrogance and hubris had lead to their downfall, and now with slayers scattered across the globe, Giles knew that the council had to be rebuilt and reconsolidated in order to protect and guide these slayers. There definitely had to be some drastic alterations in the traditional Watcher's policies, but Giles was aware that most of the dogmatists had perished along with Quentin Travers and he knew he would have to start from scratch anyway.  
  
His mind darted further to other thoughts and he realized that he needed the others to help him, especially Buffy. The combined strengths of the scoobies had assured his survival along with Buffy's, and their talents would be essential to the revitalization of the Watcher's council. He knew it would be rebuilt in England, but it would avoid the supercilious British identity that caused the council's downfall.  
  
His thoughts were interrupted by a groaning Willow, who joined him at the table, followed by Kennedy. Willow and Kennedy were having a heated discussion, the red-haired witch looked worried and in some state of shock about something. Giles turned from his thoughts over to their conversation and listened in.  
  
"I can't believe she would do such a thing! Buffy could never do a thing like that!" Willow exclaimed, her eyes almost to the point of tears.  
  
"She tried to last night, and if those fanatics hadn't attacked us, I'm sure that would have been the last we'd have seen of her," Kennedy fired back, her voice sarcastic with bitterness.  
  
"Pardon me for interrupting," Giles spoke up, "but what exactly is going on?"  
  
Willow and Kennedy paused for a moment and stared at him for several seconds. Both hesitated slightly, exchanging glances between each other as they pondered who should break the news to the man sitting with them.  
  
Finally, Willow reluctantly spoke up, "Buffy's gone. She took Dawn with her and all she left us was a note on her bed. I just don't understand -"  
  
Giles stared at her as if the world had gone mad. He was at a loss for words, his eyes bulged slightly at the thought, but he tried to retain his composure. However, his mind was fluttering like crazy, trying to come to all sorts of conclusion about his prized slayer's sudden departure. One side of him felt torn about her unannounced disappearance, he loved her dearly and couldn't fathom why she would abandon him and her friends, the very same friends she had fought alongside for over six years without any apparent cause or reason. Yet, he secretly knew that it was time for her to leave, she had been through enough and she was no longer the chosen one, that there were now slayers a dime a dozen to save the world. She had always wanted a normal life for her and her sister, and Giles realized that the recent events had given her no choice but to leave the group. He pondered over this for several minutes while Willow and Kennedy watched him apprehensively, their eyes reflecting their sadness at his apparent despair.  
  
Xander and Oz came down, both were quite sullen after the fight of the night before. They were tired of enough violence and death for one night, having lost friends and allies among the dead. They both were aware of Buffy's departure, Xander having discovered it as he walked past Dawn's room and saw an empty bed and a bare room stripped of all of Buffy's little sister's things. Neither of them wished to speak up, instead preferring to remain respectively silent because they knew that the loss was probably too hard for Willow and Giles to take, since they had been the closest to Buffy out of everyone in the group. Xander sat at the end of the table, woofing down a bowl of cereal while Oz sat on the other side of Willow and joined in with her silent conversation.  
  
The last to arrive at the table was Faith, who looked bedraggled and exhausted from the night's fight and huddling over her delirious boyfriend for the rest of the black evening. Her eyes were puffy and bloodshot from a lack of sleep and the brutal battle first against La Morte, then the vengeful Buffy and Angel and finally against Micah Luke and his cronies. She spent the night watching her boyfriend, hoping for his speedy and recovering and trying to recover from her own loss of blood. Wes had tried to kill the death knight with the same poison Faith had tried to slay Angel with years ago, she knew that only the blood of a slayer could cure her lover of the otherwise fatal poison, and she slit her own wrists and forced him in his comatose state to drink as much as he could. Luckily her slayer powers had enabled her to heal quickly, but she was completely exhausted from a night of hard tribulation. Nothing could have prepared her for the surprise she was about to receive.  
  
"So what's with all the long faces? Did I miss something?" Faith tried to keep an upbeat manner, but she felt a sinking feeling inside that something terrible had just occurred.  
  
"How's Robert doing?" Willow spoke up, evasive and trying to avoid the subject as much as possible.  
  
"He's five by five, a little delirious but he'll be better in a few hours or so," Faith answered Willow's question hurriedly, irked somewhat by the red-haired witch's evasive behavior.  
  
The room was silent for a moment as Faith searched the cupboards for some cereal. She loudly filled her bowl full of cereal and sat down at the table with the others. She started eating, and noticed that the others were staring at her as if she were totally oblivious to them.  
  
"Okay enough, what's going on that has you guys hushed up?" She looked pleadingly at Giles, who seemed as if he had been broken in two by something. "Buffy left several hours ago while the rest of you were asleep.she took Dawn with her," a voice answered from behind all of them. Faith's head turned around to face Angel, who stood in the dark corridor behind the pantry. Shadows covered his form, masking him in darkness; he seemed even more morose and brooding than usual.  
  
"Guess it looks like I'm the chosen one," Faith smirked, "Didn't think B had in her to abandon her friends." Her words stung everyone in the room, even herself. She tried to conceal her grief through rejection and sarcasm, but she felt as if she had been torn apart.  
  
"How dare you say such a thing! Buffy's been through enough without you criticizing her!" Xander snapped at Faith, "And frankly, I've been through enough too, Anya's gone, Buffy's gone, Dawn's gone, Wood and the others are dead and Wesley's gone insane. My whole stupid life has descended into chaos and I'm sick of this endless fight." He rose up from his chair and stormed out of the room.  
  
Faith tried to apologize, "I'm sorry Xander, I didn't mean what I said-" She pleaded to him, but he was already out of hearing range, or he had decided not to listen to her.  
  
"So where do we go from here?" Kennedy piped up, her voice shrill with frustration. "Our leader's gone, so who's now going to lead us?"  
  
"I don't know," Faith answered, shrugging her shoulders and looking off to the side, "I don't know."  
  
Willow tried to comfort Kennedy, "don't worry; we could go reestablish Angel Investigations at Wolfram & Hart. At least that building's still standing. And Faith can be our leader, I'm sure she's up to the task."  
  
"I'll never follow a slut who's going to betray us for some demonic monster!" Kennedy spat, her voice full of anger.  
  
Faith slammed her hand down on the table, shattering her bowl of cereal as her hand collided with it. "If you don't want to listen to me, then fine, go your own way. Of course, I never wanted a rich brat on my team."  
  
Kennedy clenched her fists in response to Faith's stinging comment. Willow grabbed Kennedy's free hand and started caressing her forehead, trying to calm down the hot-blooded potential.  
  
Giles spoke up, he remained calm despite the obvious tension in the room, "I'm afraid that there are grave matters that require our attendance. Right now, the Watcher's council has been obliterated, Angel investigations is in disarray and Sunnydale is no more. However, it is necessary that there should be Watchers to guide the slayers around the world, those that will be or have been already called, that is. Now, I know that some of my associates are still alive back in England and if I receive enough funding, I can rebuild the Watcher's council."  
  
"Consider it done," Angel answered him, "Wolfram and Hart has a lot of money at their disposal. I'm sure I can allocate some funds to your name, how does five million dollars sound?"  
  
Giles mouth opened wide as he sat in shock at Angel's announcement, "thank.you Angel that will aid us greatly. He regained his composure and continued, "But I can't do this alone. I'm going to need some help. But there are other matters besides the Watcher's council. I have received eerie news that a new hellmouth has appeared in Cleveland, Ohio. So, we have no choice but to divide our group up. Most of us must go to Cleveland to handle the new threat, but I will need experienced fighters to help me train new sets of Watchers and Slayers. I know I'm asking a lot, but is there anyone who would be willing to help me?"  
  
Kennedy chimed in, "I'll join you."  
  
Willow joined her, "Giles, you count me in."  
  
Giles paused for a moment as he reflected, "no, Willow, I'm afraid that you'll have to go to Cleveland. I'm sure Faith will need all the help she can get from a powerful magic user like you. And- I don't want to split you and Kennedy up, but I fear that it is necessary. I am in desperate need of a trainer who has physical skills on par with the other slayers, which is where you come in Kennedy, but I'm sorry but you two will have to part." He sighed as he watched the lovers react in shock.  
  
Willow squeezed Kennedy's hand and Kennedy nuzzled against her, their eyes pained with sorrow at the thought of separating.  
  
Willow answered him with firm resolve, "Giles, as much as I love Kennedy, you're right. Faith and La Morte are going to need a lot of help in Cleveland, and I have a duty to help them, regardless of their pasts. And I'm sure Kennedy can handle herself without me," she smiled as she glanced over at her lover.  
  
Kennedy nodded in response but chose to keep silent.  
  
They heard Xander call from the room across from the pantry, "G-man, count the Xander in as well. I'm not sure how much I'm going to like England. I heard it rains a lot there, but it sure beats California and Ohio."  
  
"Thank you Xander, and will you stop calling me that stupid nickname? It's getting on my nerves!" Giles called back to him and then he spoke to Faith, who stood staring at them. "Faith, you're going to have to head over to Cleveland. You are now the chosen one, there is no Buffy to bail all of us out. You will have to assume the full responsibilities of a slayer, and you will be without a watcher. But I trust that Willow and La Morte would be fitting companions for you, and you are a natural born leader, regardless of what I might have said before. You're different than Buffy in many ways, but that doesn't necessary have negative connotations. Understand that you are more advanced and skilled in other areas that Buffy could barely dream about. There's a spark within you Faith that can be used for good or for evil. I know there's good inside of you and you must lead the others to the new hellmouth to battle the next wave of evil. I will try to assist you as best I can, but training a new set of slayers and watchers will take time, at least a year or two before they are fully ready. Until then, you will have to wait it out and fight on your own, but I assure you, that you are more than capable of handling whatever apocalypse comes your way."  
  
Gile's speech stirred up something inside of Faith, although she didn't express it physically, Faith felt a surge of confidence that she had never truly felt before. Willow's sacrifice on her behalf had also made her think clearer, that the red-haired witch that Faith had never really thought highly of seemed to possess a great deal of respect for her.  
  
Oz spoke up, having remained respectively silent for most of the meeting, "I'm sorry about what happened last night Faith, I wasn't quite myself. But the only way I can make it up to you is to fight at your side in Cleveland. And hey, I'll go where Willow's going too." His words warmed Faith up, cleansing her mind of the loss of Buffy and Kennedy's bitter insults.  
  
Angel also spoke up, "I can divert funds as well to Faith and the others. Faith, once you guys set up in Cleveland, give me a call and I'll take care of everything. I'm also planning on relocating Wolfram & Hart to Cleveland, since demonic attacks have pretty much ceased to occur. Micah Luke wiped most of them out before he attacked us, and whatever few survived have gone East since the hellmouth in Sunnydale is gone. Keep in mind that this will take a few weeks at least, with all the bureaucratic paperwork I have to do, but I guarantee that I will join you there."  
  
"Excellent," Giles said, his eyes glittering with newfound joy. "We have a plan indeed. And right now, I am going to purchase plane tickets to England and notify my associates of our impending arrival. I can buy tickets for your group as well Faith."  
  
"Nah, I dig road trips a lot more than I do planes. The whole lifting up into the air thing kinda makes me a bit queasy, but going by car is fine. All I gotta do is tell Rob," Faith answered, a smile coming across her face.  
  
"Then do that, I'll tell Xander to start getting packed. Hopefully, I can secure a flight out to Heathrow tonight and we can depart promptly. And I suggest you do the same as well, Faith."  
  
"Sounds good," Faith answered as she sat down to finish her cereal.  
  
It had been a long morning, and even though her spirits had been relieved, Faith still felt a sense of emptiness inside of her. She had lost Wood and others, all of whom had respected her and treated her like a warrior, but she had betrayed them by falling in love with their murderer. And she loved him for it; she knew deep down inside, that Robert La Morte's darkness and vile demonic nature had turned her on.  
  
But, now, her boyfriend was suffering through pangs of guilt far greater than Angel ever did, she knew he despised himself and was in danger of falling apart. She loved him still, her sensitive side did at least, but she feared that a part of her wanted his old self back, along with her own old self. And she promised herself that she would never venture down that path to darkness again. Willow and Oz, two people she had never imagined really caring about her, had just made incredible sacrifices in order to fight alongside her. Faith realized that it was time for her redemption and for Robert to attain retribution from his past sins.  
  
It was time for both of them to forget their dark pasts and venture out into a new life, they would suffer great trials and tribulations ahead, and she knew it. But she also knew that the love bond between her and the death knight was too strong to be broken, and along with a werewolf and a powerful wicca, they would be a force for any evil to be reckoned with. 


	6. Envoi

Giles, Xander, Kennedy and the others had already left for LAX, their seven o'clock flight to Heathrow arriving on time. It had been a terse farewell, with Willow bursting into tears as she said goodbye to three of her best friends before they headed out in Giles' beat up car. Kennedy also was in tears as well, she tightly embraced the redhead before she headed off with the two men. Willow then ran from Kennedy to Giles and gave the former watcher a tight squeeze. He held her briefly before she turned over to Xander, their eyes meeting and speaking in place of their mouths. Xander icily greeted her hug, standing stoic against her but he eventually loosened up and returned her hold.  
  
"I'm sorry Xander," Willow looked into Xander's face.  
  
"Don't be," Xander replied. "Being a watcher sounds fun, at least it will beat construction work any day. After I all, I get to be paid to save the world instead of it being a hobby. What can I say, it's my dream job!" He smiled, the first time he had smiled in a long time.  
  
"You made a funny one? I was wondering what happened to the old Xander?" Willow returned the smile, chuckling at Xander's joke.  
  
"Don't worry, there might be an iota of him still left in here," Xander kissed her on the cheek before breaking the embrace and walking away.  
  
Willow stood there, watching the others as they walked away towards the car outside the Hyperion. Faith and Oz were loading up their luggage into Gile's car, cramming the massive suitcases into the miniscule trunk. Luckily, they somehow managed to accomplish this feat by the time the others arrived.  
  
"Good work," Giles smiled at Faith.  
  
"No problemo," Faith smiled back, crossing her arms as Giles walked over to the driver's seat.  
  
"Well, I guess this is goodbye," Giles stuttered as Kennedy and Xander walked right past Faith, snubbing her and entering in the car without so much as exchanging a glance at her or Oz.  
  
"Guess so," Faith shrugged, "At least not until another great evil's going to rise.which I don't think is going to be very long."  
  
Giles smiled, "I'll keep that in mind.Faith, if anything of that sort happens, feel free to call me at my London residence. I shall continue to inform you of any updates with reestablishing the Watcher's council, a task which I'm sure will be rather difficult. But, I'm fairly confident that you, Willow and Oz can handle anything that comes your way."  
  
"We'll manage," Oz answered Giles, "I doubt we'll encounter any challenges in Cleveland especially after Sunnydale." "Well, if you do, call me," Giles replied as he opened the driver's door and sat down. He rolled down the window to wave at everyone before he started the car and drove off. The rugged, beat up Citroen surged to life and sped off into the sunset.  
  
Willow joined Faith and Oz outside and they collectively stared at the orange horizon that slowed darkened as the sun slowly fell. They remained silent for a moment, each contemplating some affair.  
  
Oz thought of Willow, how he secretly wanted to reveal his love to her and re-ignite their relationship; but he knew that could never happen. She had loved two others after him, Tara, who had perished tragically; and Kennedy, who was now departing for England with the rest of her friends. Oz had despised how she had left him for the other witch, and as a result, unleashed his dark side upon them; but he hated himself for doing that. Then, with the Initiative purging the town of demonic influence, Oz had decided to pack up and leave. He drifted around the country, finally he reached Canada and traveled to Vancouver, where he joined a new punk band. They had spent the last year in Australia, playing various gigs around the Outback when Oz read in the newspaper that a cataclysmic earthquake had destroyed Sunnydale. That night, a mysterious light in his dreams warned him that Willow and the others were in great peril and that his mission was to protect her. First, he ignored the dream, but it continued to haunt him until he finally decided to return back to California, flying in to San Fransisco and then venturing southward on motorcycle, first stopping by the ruins of Sunnydale to see if anyone still was there. Then, he arrived in LA and found himself entangled once again in the affairs of the vampire slayers and their friends.  
  
Faith reflected on La Morte. She had loved him before when he was an evil, malevolent beast that thrived on violence, but now he seemed so impotent, so weak that it disgusted part of her. She knew that if she brought back the old La Morte, that he would bring around nothing but death and chaos, but a part of her thrived on his dark side, and she knew she would have to restrain herself. Her side of her that liked the vulnerable and human La Morte, but she was not rid of her dark side, no matter how long she would restrain it, she feared it would resurface. And if it were allowed to resurface, she feared for the others, especially La Morte, whose volatile grip on his humanity would be shattered if she returned to her old self.  
  
Willow felt alone, her closest friends had all left her in the matter of a day, and now she was stuck with a potential volatile circle of friends, including a rogue slayer, a death knight and a werewolf whom she had a tumultuous past relationship with. It was surely a powder keg waiting to explode and it was her duty to prevent that from happening. She was certain that Angel could help her maintain the balance among the group and keep up the fight against the encroaching forces of darkness, but he wouldn't be in Cleveland for a few weeks, making it her job to prevent the group from tearing apart and stopping any potential apocalypses from happening.  
  
Faith was the first to speak, she turned over to face the others, "I picked out a nice ride for us, compliments of Wolfram and Hart." She gleefully ran off to the parking lot across from the hotel. Oz and Willow exchanged skeptical glances and piled their luggage on the curb while they waited for the slayer to come back.  
  
Faith was back within a matter of minutes, driving a sleek black corvette.  
  
"Hop in," she called as she rolled down the windows. Oz and Willow loaded up the trunk with their luggage before hopping in the back seats with awestruck faces.  
  
"Nice wheels," Oz commented, "Angel let you buy a $52,000 car?"  
  
"Yeah, he picked up the tab out of the company pocket, compliments of Wolfram & Hart law firm," she smiled as she turned on the radio, which blasted loud heavy metal music. She looked back at the others, and told them that she was going to get Robert and instructed them to wait for her.  
  
Faith returned moments later, helped by Angel, both carrying a sickly La Morte without his armor. Faith carried his claymore in her free hand, and tossed it in the trunk of the corvette and then helped La Morte into the passenger seat. After she slammed the door and dropped the last of her and La Morte's equipment and personals into the trunk, Faith walked over to Angel.  
  
"Thanks for everything Angel, I don't know where I would be without ya."  
  
"Probably either dead or ruling the world with some great evil," Angel smirked at her. Faith returned the smile and kissed him on the cheek.  
  
"See you around," She winked at him as she went around to the driver's side and got in. Angel watched as the black corvette raced off into the distance as it entered LA traffic. He looked back at the Hyperion, noting the silence and emptiness emanating from the place. Angel sighed and walked back into the hotel, sorrowfully noting how the loneliness he hadn't felt in years had suddenly crept back to him.  
  
Meanwhile, a pair of eyes watched him through a pair of binoculars from an abandoned building several streets across from the Hyperion. The watcher was dressed in a brown jacket, black slacks and a blue shirt, his sapphire eyes glimmered with hatred as he put down the binoculars and sauntered over to a corner of the room where a shotgun, pistol, several knives and a sword greeted him. He mechanically stuffed the shotgun in a loop inside of his coat along with the sword. The man then placed the pistol in a contraption on the side of one of his arms that conveniently allowed him to fire it with a mere flick of his wrist. He placed one of the knives in a similar fashion on the other wrist and the others on the sides of his boots.  
  
Wesley rose to his feet, his face blank and emotionless as he returned to the window. He glanced over to the other side of the room, where a map of Cleveland hung above his bed, several areas circled in red marker. His eyes returned to staring at the Hyperion.  
  
"Don't worry Angel, I'll come for you later," he said as he flicked his right wrist and the knife came sliding out. He started sharpening it, until the loud ring of his cellphone interrupted him. He picked it up and answered it, a familiar voice speaking on the phone in highly accented English.  
  
"Yes Ulrich, I know. I'll take care of them as soon as they set up shop in Cleveland, and yes.I know your ascension will be interrupted but trust me, they will be out of your hair by the time it comes." 


End file.
